Real Housewives of Orange County star Gretchen Rossi is more than just a housewife! She is currently building her empire from her Gretchen Christine hand bag and makeup line to performing live in Las Vegas with the Pussycat Dolls. With Gretchen currently following her dreams she still has time for her boyfriend Slade Smiley who she has been in a relationship with for over 3 years. While speaking with Gretchen she gives me the inside scoop on how she really feels about Tamra Barney’s engagement, why Vicki Gunvalson is a hypocrite and marriage.

OMG: Reports came out not too long ago saying you said fellow Real Housewives Of Orange County cast mate Tamra Barney’s engagement is all for the show.

Gretchen: “First of all its not true and second of all I never knew Slade was even considering asking me to marry him I saw it when the rest of the world saw it. When he actually asked his mom on camera. If you continue to watch the show this season you’ll see that unfold and you’ll see my struggles and where I’m at with wanting to be married right now as well. Those reports were inaccurate and its unfortunate that that started that thing. You know last week I was begging for a ring and this week Tamra’s engagement is a sham and it’s completely untrue and false information. Tamra and I have worked very hard to have a good relationship and its very frustrating and sad for me that people continue to try to thrive between her and I when her and I are in a very happy content place in our lives you know”. She continued saying” When she got engaged her and I went and celebrated with Eddie, Terry and Heather and I actually offered to throw her a bachlorette party (laughs) and Heather offered to throw her a bridal shower. So if I really thought her engagement was a sham and it was just made for television I don’t think I would be offering her those things. Its just unfortunate that those reports are being said or people are trying to stir the pot between her and I.”

OMG: So I guess you and Tamra cleared everything up after the tweet she had sent out about you.

Gretchen: “Yeah I mean obviously it hurts me that she immediately jumped to conclusions and made assumptions that I had something to do with it. I mean bottom line is the article actually says sources close to Gretchen it doesn’t say Gretchen said. Its unfortunate that she jumped to conclusions and umm you know of course it made me sad and it hurts me that she fired back that quick and it was hard to hear her say that I was jealous of her thing because I’ve been nothing more than happy and supportive of her engagement. And the fact of the matter is that Im in a different place in my life than Tamra is and youll see it unfold this season on the show that I’m not necessarily ready to be married yet. So there’s no room for me to be jealous about something that I wasn’t prepared to do yet. So that definitely hurt me but at the same time Tamra and I have had a very crazy past and I don’t blame her for reacting out of pain and hurt and jumping to conclusions and you know I text her right away and I called right away and I let her know that this is ridiculous and that is not at all the truth and it seems as if by the end of the day she started to realize that and she kind of changed her tune on her twitter and I’m glad she did and I think that unfortunately it’s going to take a few days for us to all kind of calm down from it and you know feel better about this whole situatiion. It’s really unfortunate because I really come to really enjoy my friendship with Tamra”.

OMG: Watching you and Tamra together it kind of seems like you two were meant to be friends.

Gretchen: “I know (laughs) and actually it’s really funny because it’s been such a great reaction from the audience, the audience has been so supportive and so happy about it and in reality Tamra and I have been very happy about it too. Unfortunately there were a lot of things that happened in our past with outside influences that tried to cause a rift between us and I feel like that’s what happened again with this story that I feel like there’s outside sources trying to cause a rift. I was disappointed because Tamra did tell me that she would come to me first before assuming it was true and you know she didn’t do that this time and that hurt me at first but like I said you cant blame her for being upset. I mean this is supposed to be a happy time in her life and it’s supposed to be a joyous occasion and people are trying to say it’s fake or a sham or whatever it’s hard so you know I think we are going to go through a lot of those growing pains and hard knocks. I mean the audience is so used to us fighting and being in each others backs like that but I think that may just would assume that I was upset. Because I think the audience has been thinking that if anyone was going to get engaged it would be Slade and I since we’ve been together for 3 years and we’ve been talking about what we are going to do, what we are not going to do. I think they just automatically assumed oh Gretchen must be jealous of Tamra, Gretchen must be upset or whatever but the thing is that the truth will be told through the show this season and it will show that all these reports aren’t true. The thing is your absolutely right about us being friends! Let me just say this for the record I’ve always liked Tamra I never had a problem with Tamra she was always the one who had an issue with me so I always from day one thought that she was a good friend of mine and I thought that she was really fun and I had a great time with her and you know she kind of attacked me about things she didn’t have any knowledge about. So it does make since that we actually get along great and we make good friends because we are both very kind of the life of the party, like to have a good time and very straight forward honest people that just tell it like it is even when people don’t like it (laughs). So our relationship definitely does make since on so many levels and I hope that this little hiccup won’t be something that gets in the way of what is turning out to be a really good friendship”.

OMG: Now you did say that in the past what was really holding you back from being friends with Tamra were outside influences. As a viewer I can’t help but to think of Vicki as one of those people.

Gretchen: “You know I definitely think that Tamra was influenced by people in her life to not like me or have questions about me beyond even just the cast members I think that there were outside sources that were telling her things that were incorrect and not true and you know unfortunately Tamra chose to believe those things and didn’t really get to know me and hear my side of the story. Now I don’t know why she chose to go that direction but she did and you know that’s the past and we’ve moved past that now and she’s apologized and said she had no business getting involved in something she didn’t know anything about ,she was sorry for making those accusations. So I feel like we’ve moved past all that and I’m hoping now that she doesn’t once again allow outside influences or outside press or outside media to come in between us. I want her to really step back and take a look at the last 6 months that we’ve had a great friendship and a great relationship and talked and really gotten to know each other. I hope that she really takes into consideration those things and just looks at my past record with her these past 6 months and how I have been to her as a friend and person. The thing that bothers me the most is what would I have to gain from something like that? I mean that only puts a rift between her and I and i’ve worked so hard to make this rift go away. I don’t want the negative energy in my life what good would that do me? and that’s the thing that I really hope that people and her look at and realize that doesn’t do me any good like this only causes heart ache and more crap for me in my life I don’t want this between her and I”.

OMG: Do you think at some point in time you and Vicki will make up and will be able to go out and have cocktails with NO FIGHTS?

Gretchen: “Yeah exactly. Well actually your going to have to keep watching to see what happened because there definitely is a scene where Vicki and I go out with Brooks and Slade and we sit down and we do talk. We do try to come to a meeting of the lines and I actually thought it was a really great meeting and I thought that we had worked through a lot of crap.” She continues saying” unfortunately there’s things that continued to be stirred up between her and I and she for some reason thought that the reason we brought up the Brooks situation on the show was to try and make Slade look better and that’s so far from the truth. The fact of the matter is that I was hurt. I thought that she was a very huge hypocrite to be making as many accusations about Slade as she was all the while she was dating a man that had a similar situation and actually went to jail for not paying child support. You know and unfortunately the other night on Watch What Happens she goes well Slade went to jail too and she’s speaking about something she doesn’t know again. Slade didn’t go to jail for not paying child support like Brooks did, Slade was arrested because he forgot about a court date and he didn’t show up to court and it’s not because he didn’t pay child support. Its disappointing to me that she continues to talk about things she doesn’t know about and I thought maybe she learned her lesson you know the first round and sees that everyone’s telling her she’s a hypocrite and she shouldn’t be talking about things she doesn’t know but then she goes right back on Watch What Happens and says that about something she doesn’t know again so you get to a point where you just have to feel sorry for them you just have to feel sorry that they don’t learn their lesson and they keep repeating the same mistakes and I wish her well I really do. Is she somebody that I respect and that I value and that I think is adding value to my life at this time? Not really. It make me sad because I don’t like not getting along with any of my cast members I don’t like that. You can see who I am on the show I like to be a very upbeat person and I don’t really enjoy confrontation and I really have always tried to be empowering to other women and other cast members. If you actually look at who Ive been the last two years on he show I’m never just talking crap about these women for no good reason. I actually am always just defending myself against these women (laughs). How come its not okay for me to be upset when my fiancee is sick and dying of cancer but when Vicki’s daughter is sick and possibly has cancer it’s the end of the world and everyone has to stop everything and feel bad for her? It’s a hypocritical life and its really hard to feel sorry for somebody when they don’t have one ounce of empathy about what your going through in your life. I mean on this last weeks episode she completely says again like oh my gosh Ive realized how important life is with what Ive gone through with Briana and to think that Briana might have cancer. Its like you know what Vicki, Slade’s son has had cancer for 7 years we know he has cancer, he’s been in brain surgery he’s had 11 different open brain surgeries so it’s amazing to me that she doesn’t even recognize that. She’s saying that thinking she might have cancer which by the way Briana doesn’t have cancer and didn’t have cancer but yet she has so much to say about Slade and I? Its really really reallly disappointing”.

OMG: Now I know you said you weren’t ready to get married to Slade yet but when you do decide will it air as a television special?

Gretchen: “Its just so funny because this has been the question of the day. Here’s the thing if the network came to us and asked us to do some type of special or spin off i’d be flattered I mean I dont know what person wouldn’t be flattered for that but am I holding my breath for that? No. Not only to mention that but it’s very difficult to have your own show and I think a lot of people forget that. Its hard and I would be flattered if the audience and the fans consider me and Slade something of interest to the point where BRAVO feels that there should be some sort of spin off or special on something I would definitely be flattered but at the end of the day I think that’s a scary proposition because if it doesn’t do well then what? You know its kind of a double edged sword if you ask me (laughs)”.

OMG: I think a lot of people can relate to the relationship that you and Slade have. I don’t think you would have a problem with ratings.

Gretchen: “Slade and I really do have such a great relationship and I think the one thing that we have always done and always promised we would do when we decided that we were going to share our relationship in front of the camera is we are always going to be authentic. Even when authenticity is very difficult around that and it’s hard to talk about our issues and it’s hard to let the world know that Slade is going through some hard financial stuff whatever it is we decided to air it’s still very difficult on that and I really do appreciate the loyal fans that come to our site to support us and constantly are thanking us for being authentic and sharing our most intimate and difficult times in our lives. You know it’s really hard when other cast members make accusations that aren’t true and make claims like oh Slade doesn’t have a job! Well Slade does have a job and I’m so sick of this whole thing that Slade doesn’t have a job. They don’t live with us, they don’t wake up with us, they don’t know what goes into our everyday work and everyday what we are doing. Slade is now working for a hair care company and does marketing and advertising and he’s doing an amazing job for them and I’m very proud of him. Slade went through a hard financial time just like everyone else in this country, he lost his job just like a lot of people in this country did. His priority is his children and he is doing everything in his power to take care of them and thankfully we went into court and finally got a modification of his child support payments based off of his current income and he’s really in a really great place and he’s working his butt off to repair his name as who he is as a person and as a father because these women really really really tried to destroy that and its a very sad thing that they tried to do”.

OMG: If you could be on any other Real Housewives franchise which one would you choose?

Gretchen: “I know it’s probably very cliche but I would say Beverly Hills but I mean bottom line is who doesn’t want a lifestyle of glamour? I always make a joke that their guest house is the size of my house, it’s hilarious. I think it would be fun for a day to have all the glitz and glamour and be able to go shopping and not even feel bad. You don’t have buyers remorse when you go buy a $10,000 handbag or whatever it is that they do. You know I think it would definitely be fun granted I also know very clearly money really doesn’t make you happy so who knows I may be in their life or shoes for a day and go I’m out of here I don’t want this (laughs). So I don’t know but it sure seems like from the outsiders prospective that it might be fun for a day to kind of live in the shoes of their lives”.

OMG: You already have reality star checked off on your list, we saw your stand up comedy what’s next?

Gretchen: “I think that I have my businesses and personal Christine collection and my cosmetics line and there doing very well and there very successful and I really and truly am inspired everyday for the fans that send me emails and offer such great report and throw me great ideas. I mean with everything that Ive been able to create has been an inspiration from the fans and it’s a wonderful feeling that I have that report. I’m really trying to create some longevity for myself within this business. If you don’t have any sort of talent or you don’t have a business and you don’t have something that truly defines you or truly is your passion your going to be here today and gone tomorrow. My love for fashion and beauty and my passion for my business and what I’m creating and the products that I’m bringing to the women audiences is really me. The next thing your going to see me doing is I get to go perform with the Pussycat Dolls in Las Vegas in my first live Las Vegas stage and its kind of an exciting thing because it’s something that in the whole entire Housewives franchise you haven’t seen a Housewives kind of pursue this yet. People go in the studio and record a song and do those sort of things but you haven’t really seen the story unfold about somebody going and working with a group like Pussycat Dolls and go and perform on a Las Vegas stage. I think its going to be a really fun story for the audience to see I absolutely love to perform. I don’t know if that necessarily means that I’m going to be singing or if I’m going to be dancing but what I do know for sure is that I love the stage. I light up when I’m on the stage, hopefully there will be other opportunities that comes from pursing this avenue of being on stage. Whether that be something in one of the hit shows going on right now like Smash or Glee or broadway or something like that, that would be so exciting for me. People might laugh at me but you know what unless you have dreams shooting for the stars it’s never going to happen so I’m shooting for the stars (laughs)”.